JSO Diana Reaves Costarakis pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit a capital felony after she asked an undercover detective to kill her daughter-in-law 10 months ago, according to the State Attorney's Office.

A high-speed crash that tore away the side of a car after it hit a concrete power pole critically injured its three occupants as they fled a Westside hit-and-run Wednesday, Jacksonville police said.

Three males in what appeared to be an older-model Crown Victoria were hospitalized after the car ran off North Old Middleburg Road, struck a utility pole and continued dozens of yards down the roadway. The impact tore the right side off the car, said Sgt. Mike White.

The rest of the car was flattened following the impact, and debris stretched down the road.

White said the car was fleeing after a hit-and-run rear-end accident about 9:50 a.m. at Lenox and Lane avenues. The car struck another vehicle from behind then took off after the driver of the other car asked them to stop.

No names have been released.

Dana Treen

Guilty plea in woman’s murder-for-hire plot

A 71-year-old woman pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit a capital felony after she asked an undercover detective to kill her daughter-in-law 10 months ago, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Costarakis asked the detective in October to kill Angela Costarakis for $5,000. She reasoned that her daughter-in-law was a bad mother to her 6-year-old granddaughter and would take the child after divorcing her son, according to prosecutors.

Costarakis gave her daughter-in-law’s photograph to the detective, along with her address and a description of the vehicle she drove. She also provided a $2,000 down-payment and told him her daughter-in-law wore expensive jewelry that he could take.

Dan Scanlan

Woman’s ex charged in her shooting death

A Jacksonville man who called police saying he found his ex-girlfriend dead when he arrived at her Seascape Way home to help her move is now charged with her murder, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Branton died from a gunshot wound to the head Monday inside her apartment at The Retreat at St. Johns, according to police reports. She had recently called off her engagement to Schulze after a five-month relationship, Butler said.

She planed to move out of state, and police found text messages that indicated she was afraid of Schulze, according to a police report.

Police did not find a gun in her apartment and said there wasn’t forced entry.

After Schulze initially gave a questionable chain of events, he was interviewed a second time and provided more information that led to his arrest.

Derek Gilliam

Police release sketch of sex assault suspect

Atlantic Beach police have released a composite drawing of a sexual assault suspect from an attack this month at an oceanfront hotel.

The attack occurred sometime between 5:15 and 5:50 a.m. on Aug. 14. Afterward the man was seen running from One Ocean Resort & Spa at 1 Ocean Blvd., according to police.

He was wearing a dark shirt and pants similar to a hotel worker’s uniform, gloves and work boots. He is described as a black male in his late 20s or early 30s, about 6-feet tall with shoulder-length braided hair and no facial hair.

Anyone with information can contact the Atlantic Beach Police Department at (904) 247-5859.

Dana Treen

Man charged with child’s shaking death

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a 22-year-old man Wednesday on a murder charge in the death of a toddler on Halloween.

Reyes-Delgado, arrested Tuesday, had lived with his girlfriend at an Atlantic Boulevard apartment complex for about three months and was watching the child on Halloween while she worked.

Reyes-Delgado denies shaking the toddler, but police determined he was the only one watching her when the injuries occurred, Butler said.

Derek Gilliam

ST. JOHNS

Van turns out not to be suspicious after all

Concerns over a suspicious white van around St. Johns County school-bus stops have been determined to be unrelated and nothing inappropriate, the Sheriff's Office said.

In one case, the investigation found that the man was apparently talking on his cellphone and there was no attempt to make contact with the student. In another, the driver of a van offered a ride to a mother walking home in the rain after accompanying her child to a bus stop. Nothing was determined to be inappropriate, the Sheriff's Office said.

The most recent report Tuesday involved two girls who said a white van drove past them several times, then stopped and appeared to take photographs of them. The driver was identified and voluntarily agreed to be interviewed. He said he recalls seeing the girls and that he was holding his phone at the time. He let investigators inspect the phone, which had nothing illicit, the Sheriff's Office said.